Necktie shaping device

ABSTRACT

A device for sizing or shaping a necktie knot to prevent it from losing its shape and to maintain it properly positioned with respect to the shirt collar. The device may be constructed of plastic, cardboard or other suitable stiff, resilient material. A straight narrow shank is provided at the top end with an integral head portion, preferably shaped generally like an arrow-head, tapering to a blunt point at the tip end. After the tie has been knotted, the head is inserted between the tie face and the tail portion from below the knot and pushed upwardly into the knot. This spreads the knot, shapes it, and holds it in proper position. The shank is provided with vertically spaced openings so that a stick pin or tie tac can be inserted through the tie and one of the openings to lock the assembly to the shirt. In addition, the head may be provided with an integral barb for engaging the tie material. The head may also be provided with a rotating cam member which spreads a pair of bars to hold the tie properly spread just below the knot.

United States Patent 11 1 1111 3,855,636

Gnys Dec. 24, 1974 NECKTIE SHAPING DEVICE vent it from losing its shapeand to maintain it prop- [76] Inventor: Edward Gnys, 315 High St, erlypositioned with respect to the shirt collar. The de- Cemral Hills R I02863 vice may be constructed of plast1c, cardboard or other suitablestiff, resilient material. A straight narrow Filedi 1974 shank isprovided at the top end with an integral head portion, preferably shapedgenerally like an arrow- [21] Appl' 439,595 head, tapering to a bluntpoint at the tip end. After the tie has been knotted, the head isinserted between the [52] US. Cl. 2/153, 2/l57 tie face and the tailportion from below the knot and [51] Int. Cl A4111 25/08 pushed upwardlyinto the knot, This spreads the knot, [58] Field Of Search 2/157, 145,153, 150 hapes it, and holds it in proper position The shank is providedwith vertically spaced openings so that a References Cited stick pin ortie tac can be inserted through the tie and UNITED STATES PATENTS one ofthe openings to lock the assembly to the shirt.

1,954,303 4 1934 Wade 2 157 addition the head may be Providd with anintegral 2,131,311 9/1938 Cll'6lli.... 2/157 barb for engaging the tiematerial The head y also 2,501,046 3/1950 Gugino 2 157 be pr with a ingcam member which 2,652,569 9/1953 Confino 2/145 spreads a pair of barsto hold the tie properly spread Primary Examiner-Patrick D. LawsonAttorney, Agent, or FirmSalter & Michaelson [57] ABSTRACT A device forsizing or shaping a necktie knot to prejust below the knot.

3 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures NECKTIE SHAPING DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION Styles in neckwear, as in other fashion items, vary over theyears. For a while, narrow ties were in style. The knots were small andtight, and a tie holder was sufficient to hold the tie neatly in place.In recent years the ties have become much wider, and the knots are wornmuch larger. These have a tendency to loosen and slip, lose shape, andfall away from the collar. Furthermore, the wide material makes itdifficult to keep the tie in a neat, straight fold. Such ties requirefrequent attention to present a neat appearance through the day.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a device forsupporting and holding a wide knotted tie in a neat shape and position.A stiff, resilient, flat member is provided with an elongated narrowshank and an integral head at the top end. The head is pushed up intothe tie knot between the tie face and the rear tail portions. This willspread and shape the knot. The shank has a vertical row of openings sothat a stick pin or tie tac can be inserted through the tie portions andone of the openings to lock the assembly to the shirt. Additionallocking and shaping means may also be mounted on the device if desired.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings which illustrate the bestmode presently contemplated for carrying out the present invention:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a device embodying the present invention,the spreading bars being withdrawn;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation thereof;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1, partly broken away, with thespreading bars in extended position; and

FIGS. 4, 5, and 6 are plan views, with the top of the housing removed,showing the cam operation of the spreading bars.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the device ofthe present invention is preferably formed of a flat, stiff, resilientmaterial such as a plastic, cardboard, meta], etc. It comprises anelongated narrow shank portion 10. At its upper end, the shank portion10 is provided with an integral enlarged head 12. The head 12 ispreferably shaped somewhat like an arrowhead, having curved wide sides14 tapering up to a blunt pointed end 16. It will be understood,however, that other tongue-like shapes may be employed instead of theillustrated arrow-head configuration.

After the tie has been conventionally formed on the collar 18 with thelarge knot 20 in place, the device is inserted between the front face 22and the rear tail portion 24 of the tie. The head 12 is pushed upwardlyinto the knot 20, FIG. 1. This ensures the retention of the desiredshape and prevents the knot from slipping downwardly by means now to bedescribed.

The shank portion 10, extending down behind the front face 22 of thetie, keeps the device in proper position. A plurality of verticallyspaced openings 26 are positioned centrally of the shank 10. A stick pinor tie tac (not shown) can thus be inserted through the front and rearportions 22 and 24 of the tie, passing through the nearest opening 26,to lock the entire assembly to the shirt. The device is thus retained inplace to maintain the knot 20 in proper shape and keeping it fromslipping.

Additional holding and shaping means may also be provided as shown inFIGS. 1 and 2. Adjacent the upper tip end 16 of the head 12, adownwardly extending barb 28 may be integrally struck from the materialof the device. Now when the head 12 is pushed up into the knot 20,downward movement will be prevented by the penetration of the barb 28into the tie material.

A further locking or holding means can be provided by joining alternateopenings 26 to form slots 30. The slots can be used to lock the shank tothe nearest shirt button. However, this requires that the rear tailportion 24 of the tie be pushed to one side to expose the shirt buttons.Of course, when the shirt button is used for anchoring the device, thestick pin or tie tac is no longer necessary.

The device is also provided with means for spreading the face portion 22of the tie just below the knot 20 to present the wide material in aneat, wrinkle-free appearance. This feature is illustrated in FIGS. 1,and 3 to 6, inclusive. Mounted on the front of the head 12 is a flat,annular, hollow housing 32. A circular cam disc 34 is rotatablypositioned in the housing 32 and is manually rotatable by a knob 36 atthe rear of the head 12, the knob 36 having a shank attached to thecenter of the disc 34 through an opening in the head 12. The housing 32is provided with diametrically opposed side openings 37, and a spreadingbar 38 extends slidably through each opening, the bars 38 being indiametrical alignment across the housing. The inner end of each bar 38is provided with a pin 40 riding in a cam slot 42 in the disc 34. Thecam slots 42 are curved so that rotation of the disc 34 will thrust thebars outwardly in extended position from the housing 32.

Now, after the head 12 has been pushed into the position shown in FIG.1, the knob 36 is manually rotated to turn the disc 34 in the directionof the arrows in FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. 4 illustrates the bars 38 inwithdrawn position as also shown in FIG. 1. As illustrated in FIGS. 5and 6, as the disc 34 rotates, the cam slots 42 force the pins 40outwardly, pushing the bars 38 into extended position, FIG. 3. Thisforces the outer ends of the bars 38 against the outer folds of the rearsurface of front face 22 of the tie to spread and hold it in a neat,wrinkle-free position.

I have thus provided a simple and easily constructed device which can bereadily applied to a wide tie knot to shape and hold it in position. Thedevice prevents slipping of the knot, eliminates wrinkling, and promoteslonger wear. Other advantages of the present invention will be readilyapparent to a person skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

l. A tie knot shaping and holding device comprising a flat planar memberhaving an elongated shank, an enlarged integral head at the upper end ofsaid shank, opposite sides of said head having gently rounded lowerportions, said sides then converging to a gently rounded apex at the topof said head, said head being adapted to be pushed upwardly into a tieknot between the front and rear portions of a tie until the convergentupper portion of the head is within the knot while the wider, curvedlower portion of the head remains below the knot, spreader meansassociated with said head and comprising bars extending outwardly fromopposite sides of said head at said wider, curved lower portion thereof,said spreader means also being of flat, planar construction andfunctioning to maintain the tie material below the knot in spreadposition, and means for holding said device properly positioned withrespect to the tie. v

2. In the device of claim 1, means permitting said spreader bars to beselectively maintained in an outwardly spread, operative position, or inan inoperative position when no spreading means are required.

3. A tie knot shaping and holding device comprising a flat, stiff,flexible member having a narrow elongated shank, an enlarged integralhead at the upper end of said shank, said head having a gently curvedtop end, whereby said head may be pushed upwardly into a tie knotbetween the front and rear portions of a tie, means for holding saidmember in position in the tie, and means for spreading the tie materialbelow the knot and holding it in spread position, said spreading meanscomprising a flat annular housing mounted on the front of said head, apair of diagonally aligned spreading bars extending from opposite sidesof said housing, cam means in said housing for sliding said bars from awithdrawn to an extended position, and a manually operable knob at therear of said head for operating said cam means.

. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE CERTIFICATE OF CUECTION Patent No. 3 85 5,636 Dated December 24, 1974 Inventors) Edward L, Ggys It is certifiedthat error appears in the above-identified patent and that said LettersPatent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Applicant's address Central "Hills should be v Central -Falls--.

Signed and sealed this 11th day of March 1975.

(SEAL) Attest c. MARSHALL D'ANN' ts RUTH C. MASON Commissioner of PatenAttesting Officer and Trademarks

1. A tie knot shaping and holding device comprising a flat planar memberhaving an elongated shank, an enlarged integral head at the upper end ofsaid shank, opposite sides of said head having gently rounded lowerportions, said sides then converging to a gently rounded apex at the topof said head, said head being adapted to be pushed upwardly into a tieknot between the front and rear portions of a tie until the convergentupper portion of the head is within the knot while the wider, curvedlower portion of the head remains below the knot, spreader meansassociated with said head and comprising bars extending outwardly fromopposite sides of said head at said wider, curved lower portion thereof,said spreader means also being of flat, planar construction andfunctioning to maintain the tie material below the knot in spreadposition, and means for holding said device properly positioned withrespect to the tie.
 2. In the device of claim 1, means permitting saidspreader bars to be selectively maintained in an outwardly spread,operative position, or in an inoperative position when no spreadingmeans are required.
 3. A tie knot shaping and holding device comprisinga flat, stiff, flexible member having a narrow elongated shank, anenlarged integral head at the upper end of said shank, said head havinga gently curved top end, whereby said head may be pushed upwardly into atie knot between the front and rear portions of a tie, means for holdingsaid member in position in the tie, and means for spreading the tiematerial below the knot and holding it in spread position, saidspreading means comprising a flat annular housing mounted on the frontof said head, a pair of diagonally aligned spreading bars extending fromopposite sides of said housing, cam means in said housing for slidingsaid bars from a withdrawn to an extended position, and a manuallyoperable knob at the rear of said head for operating said cam means.